I just bought a $5 coffee from Caribou. Which means I had to work for 45 minutes in order to pay for it. That was very frivolous of me. Luckily, I have cut it down to once or twice a week. There was a time not too long ago when I stopped at Caribou Coffee every day on the way to work. In the age of designer coffee, you are just not cool if you don’t get one every day, right?

I will maybe never be one of those people who makes a 6 figure salary, but if I am, I will remember those days when I was making $12,000 a year and maybe that will remind me of what I really need. I admit, I have a fetish for shoes and books, which tends to make me a bit short on cash at the end of the month, but I always make sure to have toilet paper. I also make sure I have enough dollars to buy groceries so I can cook semi-decent meals for my Beloveds. It may seem like a small thing, but I don’t mind passing up a pair of leopard- print heels so I can take care of my family. I know that matters more than what I have on my feet.

When I was a waitress, I always had cash on hand, which many times resulted in me buying $20 worth of candy. (Candy is my favorite food) I was quite incautious with my money, which has really come back to bite me in the ass. I am proud to say that I never acquired a credit card with a $20,000 limit, although I DID end up owing $2800 on my Victoria’s Secret card. (That’s alot of lingerie.) It wasn’t until I left my husband and was living in an apartment sleeping on pillows that I had realized how remiss I had been in my saving. I am sad to say I haven’t really gotten much better since then, but I haved vowed to work on it. Basically, I urge every one of you wther you make $5000 a year or $1,000,000, to think about it the next time slap down a credit card to buy a pair of $250 shoes or spend $100 at a fancy restaraunt. They say money doesn’t buy happiness, and I believe it, because I’ve known a few wealthy people who have just as much worry about bills as I do. Remember to go outside and check out the sunset, or to relish the feel of a lover’s kiss, and always give hugs, because those things are free, and you will feel better than if you have someone compliment the outfit you spend oodles on. And maybe, after you bask in the delight of the little things, go and get a $5 coffee with extra whip cream. XOXO